MARSEILLE, France, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Marseille forward Mathieu Valbuena has made a rapid recovery from a knee problem and could face Manchester United in Wednesday’s Champions League last 16 first leg (1945 GMT) in southern France.
The France international had looked set to miss the game after sustaining an injury on Jan. 22 which the French champions described as “pretty serious...Full Story »

UP FOR THE FIGHT ... Cristiano Ronaldo is ready for Champions League challenge
CRISTIANO RONALDO thinks Real Madrid are the favourites for this season's Champions League.
The Spanish giants have splashed the cash in recent years with £80million going on Ronaldo alone.
But they have been knocked out at the last-16 stage for the previous SIX campaigns.
However, Ronaldo is confident the...Full Story »

Arsène Wenger is still against the idea of scrapping FA Cup replays - even though their existence is denying his squad a rest. Arsenal were pegged back in the final moments of their Fifth-Round tie at Leyton Orient on Sunday by Jonathan Tehoue's venomous low drive so the London rivals will meet again at Emirates Stadium next week with a Quarter-Final clash with Manchester United at sta...Full Story »

Airdrie's resources are stretched for the visit of Forfar, with Rhys Devlin and Stephen McKeown suspended and full-backs Craig Hill and Jamie Bain expected to miss out through injury.
Diamonds boss Jimmy Boyle is demanding an improvement from his men following a disappointing showing against Alloa at the weekend when they lost 2-0.
Boyle said: "Saturday was a major disappointment and we will n...Full Story »

• Parma hope to sign 19-year-old before end of January • 'We are optimistic that this transfer will be completed'
Parma are hopeful they will be able to sign the former Bologna striker Fabio Borini from Chelsea.
The Parma president, Tommaso Ghirardi, has not given up hope of signing the Chelsea striker Fabio Borini. The Serie A club are looking to strengthen their attacking line b...Full Story »

Manchester United and Arsenal are expected to go head-to-head in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.
The Gunners were held 1-1 by Leyton Orient in their fifth round tie on Sunday evening, but if they win the replay at the Emirates, the title rivals will face each other at Old Trafford in the last eight.
Stoke City will play either West Ham or Burnley, while Birmingham City will take on Bolto...Full Story »

LONDON (AFP) - Arsenal were held to an embarrassing 1-1 draw by Leyton Orient in the FA Cup fifth round as the League One side snatched a last-gasp equaliser at Brisbane Road on Sunday.
Arsene Wenger's side had enjoyed a famous 2-1 win over Spanish champions Barcelona in the Champions League last 16 first leg on Wednesday, but they were brought back down to earth in east London as Orient substi...Full Story »

LONDON (AP)—Chelsea’s hopes of a third straight FA Cup title were dashed after losing to Everton on penalties in a fourth-round replay Saturday, while Manchester United required Wes Brown’s header to edge past non-league side Crawley 1-0 in a last-16 match.
Captain Phil Neville converted the winning spot kick for Everton at Stamford Bridge after Chelsea left back Ashley Cole s...Full Story »

MANCHESTER, England (AP)—Manchester United advanced to the sixth round of the FA Cup but only after a narrow 1-0 win over minnows Crawley Town at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Wes Brown’s first-half header ensured there was no upset against a team that sits 93 places below them on the league ladder in the fifth tier.
However, the 11-time FA Cup winners struggled to impose themselves an...Full Story »

Barcelona forward Lionel Messi hopes the Catalan club finally seal the capture of Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas this summer.
Barca have tracked the Catalan midfielder for several seasons and had two big-money bids for their former youth team player turned down by the Gunners last summer.
But Messi, who lost out to Fabregas and his Arsenal team-mates in the first leg of the teams' Champions Lea...Full Story »

Forfar manager Dick Campbell has everyone at his disposal as the Loons look to climb above visitors Ayr in the race for a promotion play-off place.
The wily Campbell is planning to freshen up his starting XI for the crunch encounter.
He said: "We played well last Saturday against Alloa but were disappointing when we played the same opponents on Tuesday. I will make some changes of personnel as...Full Story »

Partick Thistle have added defender Jackie McNamara and winger Shaun Fraser to their squad to face Falkirk
The pair return to the squad after they recovered from the flu bug that has swept Firhill recently, but centre-back Willie Kinniburgh remains laid low and has been ruled out.
The Jags assistant Ian Maxwell is predicting a tight encounter saying: "We have played each other four times alrea...Full Story »

Sevilla striker Luis Fabiano says his time with the Spanish club is coming to a close.
The Brazil striker appears intent on leaving the team at the end of the season after saying on Wednesday that "my cycle (at Sevilla) is coming to an end."
Luis Fabiano's sixth season with the club has seen his playing time drop, with the 30-year-old forward scoring nine goals.
The former Sao Paulo stri...Full Story »

• Cost of seats for neutrals ranges from £176 to £326• Uefa's prices condemned as 'absolutely outrageous'
Arsenal are looking to Wembley but can their fans afford to go?
Uefa has been accused of exploiting supporters as it emerged that tickets for this season's Champions League final at Wembley on 28 May would be the most expensive ever with the cheapest on general sale ...Full Story »

Recently retired striker Ronaldo will help promote the city of Sao Paulo ahead of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Two days after announcing his retirement from football, Ronaldo said he has accepted an offer from Sao Paulo state Government Geraldo Alckmin to become a special member of the city's World Cup organizing committee.
He said "it will be an honor" to help Sao Paulo create the best v...Full Story »

Karima El Mahroug, seen here at a November 2010 photocall in Milan, is at the centre of allegations against Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who on Tuesday was ordered to stand trial on a charge that he paid El Mahroug for sex when she was underage.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's regime, dubbed a "tartocracy" due to the playboy billionaire's inclusion of ex-showgirls in h...Full Story »

Dunfermline will be without midfielder Steven Bell for the home clash with great rivals Falkirk, and manager Jim McIntyre is keeping his opponents guessing over his line-up.
A win for the Pars would send them top of the First Division table, and McIntyre said: "Martin Hardie came on for the last 15 minutes of our game at Cowdenbeath at the weekend and did really well during that time.
"He set ...Full Story »

Forfar were 3-0 victors against Alloa at the weekend and they add midfielder Martyn Fotheringham to their squad as the sides meet again.
Fotheringham is back after suspension, with only defender Marc McCulloch rated as a doubt.
A first home win since October 30 would see the Loons deal what would be considered a fatal blow to Alloa`s hopes of a promotion play-off place, but manager Dick Campbe...Full Story »

Premier League stars have been warned not to step out of line on Twitter as the English Football Association responded to a spate on controversies involving the micro-blogging website.
Liverpool's Ryan Babel became the first player to be sanctioned for comments made on Twitter last month when he was fined £10,000 for posting a mocked-up picture of referee Howard Webb wearing a Mancheste...Full Story »

Ross Campbell's second-half double helped Forfar to a 3-0 win over Alloa.Alloa had chances to open the scoring in the first-half but James Lister was denied by Scott Gallacher and Barry Sellars fired over from 25 yards.The home side were made to pay on 61 minutes when Campbell opened the scoring for Forfar as his shot beat the keeper from 12 yards.Campbell netted a brace and Forfar's second ten...Full Story »

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